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Author of Linux Patent Study Contradicts Ballmer

Posted by michael on from the that's-unpossible dept.

An anonymous reader sends us this EWeek story, following-up on the recent Linux patent scare. The author of the patent study is contacted, and says, "Open source faces no more, if not less, legal risk than proprietary software. The market needs to understand that the study Microsoft is citing actually proves the opposite of what they claim it does."

9 of 335 comments (clear)

  1. What? by Goo.cc · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft mischaracterizes what someone says just for FUD purposes? Naaa, that would never happen.

  2. Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols says Microsoft is bad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...more breaking news at eleven.

    So are open source vendors indemnifying end-users or not? Microsoft's legal exposure is priced into their software and the end user doesn't need to worry - can Linux users say the same or should they take out open source insurance?

  3. The author needs to learn how to do math ... by Keeper · · Score: 5, Funny

    "In fact, the study said Linux potentially violates 283 software patents, not
    'over 228' as Ballmer said in his speech."

    Last time I checked 283 was over 228 ...

    1. Re:The author needs to learn how to do math ... by dbIII · · Score: 4, Funny
      "In fact, the study said Linux potentially violates 283 software patents
      I always said that using the group name "wheel" was a bad idea, and now someone's gone ahead and patented the wheel - so we're all in trouble.

      In a lot of cases software patents don't make sense.

  4. Really? by MrAnnoyanceToYou · · Score: 1, Funny

    You mean the open source community and Microsoft disagree about something? How'd that happen?

    They were getting along so well.

    --
    My little site.
  5. Re:So we just get to take MS's word for it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Please, learn what an apostrophe is and how to use it without looking like an idiot.

  6. Re:Not really by jokumuu · · Score: 5, Funny
    but, still, it just boils down to making a simple unstated assumption that changes the whole outcome of the data.

    Unfortunately this is a trend that is increasing in our society, one takes a fact or group of facts out of context and uses that to prove something.

  7. Re:Not really by ravenspear · · Score: 2, Funny

    well, i downloaded the pdf of the study and read the whole damn thing. the bottom line: the ms solution was cheaper... if you factored in the "retraining costs" required to move your "existing i.t. staff" to use linux.

    That's why it's better to skip the "retraining" entirely. Just fire the whole staff and hire some unemployed linux geeks.

  8. Re:Not really by Heisenbug · · Score: 4, Funny
    but, still, it just boils down to making a simple unstated assumption that changes the whole outcome of the data.

    Unfortunately this is a trend that is increasing in our society, one takes a fact or group of facts out of context and uses that to prove something.


    My god ... you just took one isolated fact to make a sweeping generalization about the way our society makes generalizations from isolated facts. Come on, mods, where's the +5 Funny? That comment was comic genius.